Musings on Moksha -I

The river of life flows in the pursuit of pleasure and power, Kama and Artha, libido and Id of Freud. To ensure it does not destroy itself, it is restrained by the two banks of Dharma and Moksha, Dharma is the bank that restrains the objective world of action, regulating Artha or pursuit of power. It is one's duty to society and others, obligations that automatically will be a check and balance on Artha. In the context of a modern society it is laws and ethics, duties to family and community, corporate governance, corporate social responsibility. The other bank is Moksha, that regulates the objective world of experience and feeling that acts as a check and balance on Kama. In the modern context it is the search for personal meaning. How do we know when to stop when pursuing power ? When we violate the law or break the trust of an individual. When do we know when to stop while pursuing pleasure ? When it destroys the fabric of our own personal meaning

The concept of meaning is very important and is not yet understood by the society at large. In the past religion gave meaning and provided a check on seeking pleasure. We did away with religion and so the pleasure part of the river of life really has no regulatory restraint. To question whether to regulate pleasure is to risk considered anachronistic. Yet, one finds that unbridled pursuit of pleasure does not provide well being just as unbridled pursuit of power does not create sustained wealth creation. Well being is in finding the delicate balance between pleasure and meaning. A personal meaning is as important for sustained enjoyment of pleasure as laws and restraints are important for sustained wealth creation.

How do we find meaning ? True meaning is found in recognizing the ultimate impermanence or meaninglessnss of all things as the great Buddha said. Even the greek myths considered human lives meaningful because of death. More on that later